Call-distributing system.



H. P. CLAUSEN.

CALL DISTRIBUTING SYSTEIVL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4.1915.

Patented July 10, 191?.

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Henry I? C/awsen. by ,4 v flffy.

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HENRY P. CLAUSEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

Application filed October 4, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. CLAUsnN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Call-Distributing Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,and exact description.

This invention relates to a call distributing system, and moreparticularly to a system in which certain subscribers lines, which maybe termed heavy users, are so arranged that calls to such lines areautomatically extended to an operators position where no unansweredcalls are present at the time.

According to one feature of this invention, there are provided means,such as a slowacting relay, for applying a busy test potential to themultiple test terminals of the seized trunk while the answering plug isinserted into the outlet of the seized trunk, for the purpose ofinsuring the holding of this trunk if, by mistake, the operator pullsout fgr a short period of time the answering Another feature of thisinvention calls for the provision of a signal associated with thesubscribers lines, said signal being operated only upon the permanentdisconnection of the battery potential from the stationary test contactsof the distributing switch due to some disturbances in the operation ofthe switch or in the trunk.

The drawings disclose a system embodying the advantages above recited.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a subscribers line which, in thepresent case, may be a party line. The distributing switch 6 hereinshown is of a character similar to that disclosed in my Patent 1,131,911of March 16, 1915. The brushes, which are advanced step by step,electrically unite the contacts on which they rest with the adjacentconducting segments. It is thought the operation of this switch will bereadily understood from the following description of the invention.

When a subscriber on line 1 removes his receiver from its hook, acircuit is completed from grounded battery 2, through the lefthandwinding of a line relay 3, the outer armature and back contact of acut-off relay Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial No. 53,933.

4, the left side of the line, the substation apparatus of the callingsubscriber, the right side of the line, back contact and inner armatureof relay 4, and the right-hand winding of relay 3 to ground. Relay 3 byattracting its armatures closes a circuit from ground through aninterrupter 5 common to a plurality of distributing switches 6, thefront contact and outer armature of relay 3, the winding of a steppingmagnet 7 the upper winding of a switching relay 8, inner armature andfront contact of relay 3, and the winding of a relay 9 to groundedbattery.

Assuming that the distributing trunk outlet, upon which the switchbrushes now rest, is busy, a shunt is completed, as will appear later,from grounded battery 10 through armature 1'1 and front contact of atrunk cut-off relay 12, an impedance 13, multiple test contacts 14: ofthe trunk, brush 15, conducting segment 16 of switch 6, normal contact17 and the upper winding of relay 8, the inner armature and frontcontact of relay 3, and the winding of relay 9 to grounded battery. Dueto the closure of this circuit, relay 8 cannot become energized as longas brush 15 travels over terminals 14: of busy trunks. Relay 9 does notbecome energized due to the above traced shunt; however, should the testwiper stop between two contacts of switch 6, or other trouble occur,resulting in the disconnection of battery potential from terminal 14,relay 9, under the control of interrupter 5, causes the flashing of atrouble signal 23.

Neither will magnet 7 operate upon the closure of the first tracedcircuit, another circuit of lower resistance being closed from groundthrough interrupter 5, the front contact and outer armature of relay 3,the wind ing of magnet 7, 17, 16, 14:, 13 and 11 to grounded battery 10for operating the stepping magnet.

Under the control of interrupter 5, magnet 7 is intermittently energizedand deenergized, and operates a pawl 20 attached to its armature, whichpawl controls, by means of a ratchet wheel 21, the stepping of thebrushes of the switch 6 upon each release of the armature of magnet 1the switch being maintained in its advanced position by means of alocking pawl 22.

Had the switch brushes rested on the contacts of an idle trunk enteringan operators position at which an unanswered call existed, the resultwould have been the same as busy potential would have been suppliedthrough an armature of relay 24, as will presently appear.

The stepping operation is repeated until the test brush 15 engages acontact of an idle trunk terminating at an idle operators position uponwhich no battery potential is present. Upon engaging an idle trunk, theshunt is removed from the upper winding of relay 8, and this relay, byattracting its lower armature, interrupts its energizing circuit butwill not fall off as it is slow to release, and also because momentaryholding circuit now extends from grounded battery through the winding ofrelay 9, inner armature and front contact of relay 3, the upper winding,contacts 17 and 30 and the lower winding of relay 8, and the winding ofrelay 4 to ground. Relay 8 at its upper contacts now extends the callingsubscribers line to the switch brushes. When the switch brushes stop onthe contacts of an idle trunk, a circuit is closed from ground throughthe lower winding of a relay 31, the lower armature and back contact ofrelay 12, the back contact and armature ofrelay 24, impedance 13,terminal 14, test brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 17, the upperwinding of relay 8, inner armature and back contact of relay 3, and thewinding of relay 9 to grounded battery. This circuit is closed prior tothe opening of contact 17, whereby relay 31 becomes energized and closesa looking circuit for itself from grounded battery through its upperwinding, the back contact and armature of relay 24, impedance 13,terminal 14, brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 30 and the lowerwinding of relay 8, and the winding of relay 4 to ground. Relay 4becomes energized and disconnects relay 3 which in turn opens thecircuit of stepping magnet 7 whereupon the switch will be arrested.Relay 4 could not become energized prior to the closure of this circuitdue to the fact that both windings of relay 8 have been included in itscircuit.

Relay 31 closes a circuit from ground through its upper armature andfront contact, answering lamp 32, and on one side through the winding ofa magnet 33 to grounded battery, and on the other side through vthewinding of a relay 34 to grounded battery. Under the control of magnet33, a well-known metering device 34 is operated for registering that acall has been extended to this operators position. Relay 34 closes acircuit from ground through its armature and the winding of relay 24 togrounded battery. Relay 24, upon energization, supplies busy potentialthrough its several armatures to the test contacts of all the trunksentering the operators position, including the trunk just seized. Re-

lay 24 opens the locking circuit of relay 31. This relay, however,remains energized by current flowing from grounded battery through theupper Winding and lower contact of relay 31, lower contact of relay 12and lower armature of relay 31 to ground.

e will now assume that the operator, upon the glowing of lamp 32,inserts plug 36 in the outlet jack 37. Supervisory relay 38 becomesenergized from grounded battery 39 through ring contacts of the plug andjack, brush 40, conducting segment 41, the innermost upper contact ofrelay 8, left side of subscribers line, substation apparatus, right sideof subscribers line, outermost con tact of relay 8, conducting segment42,brush 43, tip contacts of ack and plug, and back to battery. Relay 38completes a circuit from battery 44 through its contact, sleeve contactsof the plug and jack, and the winding of the trunk cut-off relay 12 toground. Relay 12 operates and connects test potential to the testcontact of the trunk through its armature 11 and front contact, thuscompleting another path to battery for holdingthe relays 8 and 4energized. Relay 12 is slow to release, and therefore, should theoperator, by mistake, pull out the plug 36 for a short period, the trunkwould be held by relay 12. Relay 12 at its lower contact opens thelocking circuit of relay 31, which is deenergized, causing in turn thedenergization of magnet 33, relay 34 and the extinguishing of lamp 32.Upon the deenergization of relay 34, relay 24 also becomes cleenergized.

Should the operator desire to hold this trunk, she would depress a key51 for maintaining relay 12 energized for any desired period of time.The purpose of this key is to permit an operator to ring back upon acalling subscribers line; the key being actu ated while the operator ischanging from an answering to a calling plug.

The operator now closes her listening key 52 and obtains from thecalling subscriber the number of the subscriber wanted. Assuming thatthe calling and wanted subscribers are both on the same line, theoperator, not knowing this fact, will touch the tip of the calling plug53 to the sleeve of the jack 54 of the calling line( The calling linebeing busy, a circuit is closed from grounded battery 10, through thearmature 11 and front contact of relay 12, impedance coil 13, terminal14, brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 30 and lower winding ofrelay 8, conductor 55 and the sleeve of jack 54, tip of plug'53,listening key contact 56, and the Winding of relay 57 to ground.

Relay 57 becomes energized, completing a circuit from ground through thesecondary winding 58 of the busy tone apparatus 59, armature and backcontact of relay 60, right-hand armature and front contact of relay 57,listening key contact 61, sleeve contacts of plug 36 and jack 37,condenser 62, the front contact and armature 63 of relay 12, the trunktest contact 14, brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 30 and lowerwinding of relay 8, the sleeve of jack 54c, listening key contact 56,conductor 64, through the operators set to conductor 65, listening keycontact 66, supervisory relay 67 to ground through battery 39. Theimpedance coil 13 is provided to prevent the shortcircuiting of theoperators set in the busy tone circuit through battery 10.

The operatornow hearing a distinctive tone produced by the apparatus 59,is informed that the called and calling parties are both on the sameline and removes thereupon the plugs 36 and 53 from jacks 37 and 5 1respectively, and signals the called subscriber in the usual manner.Upon the actuation of the listening key 52 and the subsequentenergization of relay 57, a circuit is closed from ground through theleft-hand armature and front contact of relay 57 and the winding of thebarring relay 24 t0 grounded battery. Relay 24: remains energized aslong as the operators listening key is actuated, preventing thereby, inthe above described manner, the extension of a calling line to thisoperators position while the operator is engaged in answering a call.

If, for any reason, it is desired to make an operators positiontemporarily busy, the key 7 0 is operated, energizing relay 2A whichplaces busy potential permanently upon the test contacts of all thetrunks of the operators position.

Although a plurality of batteries are represented on the drawings, thismay be and in practice would be one and the same source of current.

The line relays of calling lines which are not supposed to bedistributed by means of switch 6 to an idle operators position, controla pilot relay 75. This relay by attracting its left-hand armatureactuates the line signal 7 6 in front of the operator, and by attractingits right-hand armature closes an energizing circuit for the barringrelay 24, preventing thereby the extension of a calling line to thisoperators position until this call has been answered, whereupon thecut-ofi relay individual to that line disconnects the line relay,causing the denergiza; tion of relay 75.

It is obvious that other systems embodying the salient features of thisinvention, but

differing widely in detail from that herein shown, may be designed.Applicant therefore desires it understood that this invention is to belimited merely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of lines, operatorspositions, trunks terminating in jacks at each of said positions, adistributing switch for extending a calling line to one of said trunks,means for preventing the extension of a line toa busy trunk, and a slowacting relay, operative upon the actuation of the jack in which saidtrunk terminates, for controlling the hold ing of this trunk.

2. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of lines, operatorspositions, trunks terminating at each of said positions, a distributingswitch for extending a calling line to one of said trunks, stationaryand movable contacts for said switch, a relay associated with each ofsaid lines, an operating circuit for said relay closed upon theinitiation of a call on one of said lines, and a shunt including thewinding of said relay closed while the movable contacts of said switchtravel over stationary contacts to which battery potential is applied.

3. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of groups of lines,operators positions, trunks terminating at each of said positions, acall distributing switch for extending the calling lines of one of saidgroups to a trunk leading to an idle operators position, means forextending a calling line of another one of said groups to apredetermined operators position, a signal associated with each line,means for operat ing the signals associated with the second mentionedgroup of lines upon the initiation of calls thereon, and means forpreventing the actuation of the signals associated with the firstmentioned group of lines upon the initiation of a call.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribemy name this 29th day ofSeptember A. D.,

HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

